


Tempering

by Silver_89



Category: Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, mixed martial arts au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-04-20 05:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4776239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_89/pseuds/Silver_89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After quitting her coaching position at Joe's, Furiosa is determined to set up a successful MMA training facility and gym of her own.  Running a gym and coaching the girls is a struggle, especially with Joe, livid about "The Wives" leaving with her, being determined to see it fail.  When a mysterious stranger shows up at the new gym, Furiosa soon realizes he might be the help she needs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Furiosa tossed the stack of mail she’d been thumbing through onto the desk with a sigh. Loan payment due here, electric bill due there, legal fees from Joe’s unsuccessful lawsuit due here, quotes for the endless repairs and renovations the gym needed all over the place, insurance premiums rising – why was she getting punished for vandals trashing the building? All of it was enough to put her over the edge.

Checking her e-mail brought no news of the upcoming competition in Corvidae; she had been hoping to get the girls entered in the tournament. Furiosa slammed the laptop shut and rubbed her temple. A soft knock to the door frame pulled her from her thoughts. Capable stood at the door looking slightly anxious and holding the cordless phone.

“Splendid called, said she’s going to be late, not feeling well again.”

“Call her back and tell her I don’t want her here until she sees a doctor; she’s been sick all week.”

Capable nodded. “Any news about Corvidae?”

“Not yet.”

After leaving Joe’s training facility and taking the girls with her, Furiosa bought a building and turned it into a women’s mixed martial arts training facility and gym. It had been a risky move, one that currently wasn’t paying off with Joe doing everything in his power to make it fail, including limiting their options for participating in nearby tournaments.

Capable’s hopeful face fell; she nodded again and walked back towards the front desk to call Splendid. Furiosa stood up and removed her prosthesis, dropping it on the pile of mail and paperwork. Her problems weren’t going anywhere and she had some fighters to coach; she told Toast to warm up and get in the ring.

Furiosa would never regret leaving Joe. He may have made a successful career of churning out MMA champions but she spent ten years watching him run fighters into the ground, treating them like property and discarding them the second they underperformed. When she finally got the chance to escape she took it and never looked back.

\--

The door to the entrance of the gym creaked open and for a split second Furiosa’s attention was drawn to the man entering the building and heading for the front desk. However, she wasn’t so distracted that she couldn’t block Toast’s high kick to her shoulder. With a slight grin she locked her arm around Toast’s leg to keep her off balance and leaned forward, forcing the younger fighter to fall backwards onto the mat. Furiosa’s smile widened and she helped Toast up.

“Quick break, stay warm,” she ordered before turning towards the front desk. The man had one hand jammed in his pocket and the other holding a duffel bag. It seemed as if he didn’t know how to hold still, shifting his weight from foot to foot, eyes darting everywhere. The tension in his shoulders looked tighter than a pressed coil. Furiosa wouldn’t have been surprised if he were on something.

“Can I help you?”

Her voice got his attention and he glanced at her before quickly looking away; he shuffled closer to the desk.

“How much . . .” he cleared his throat, voice raspy, “to work out?”

Furiosa eyed him warily. He almost looked familiar to her but she couldn’t pinpoint from where. The mixed martial arts training was for women only but the gym was open to anyone, the current customer count being . . . one. She withheld her sigh and told him the cost.

“Ten a day, fifty a week, or one-fifty a month with a membership which-”

He interrupted her with a ten dollar bill slapped on the counter before he turned and headed for the locker rooms.

“Okay then,” she muttered, taking the money and putting it away before returning to her sparring session with Toast.

When the man emerged from the locker rooms, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, brace on his left knee, he began with a short jog on the treadmills and from there her eyes followed him trying every piece of equipment she had.

Returning her attention to Toast, she called Dag, Cheedo, and Capable over to demonstrate a technique they could use to take down taller opponents. In rapid moves Furiosa placed the nub of her left arm on Toast’s upper arm, just above her elbow; her right hand grasped the girl’s neck and forced it towards her nub, spinning Toast over her arm, forcing her feet into the air in a wide arc that finished with the younger fighter landing hard on the mat.

“I want all of you to practice this with each other, then cool down for the day.”

Furiosa watched them practice, giving them tips about how to plant their feet and use leverage instead of energy-sapping strength. She took another glance at her new customer who’d made his way to one of the punching bags, hands freshly taped. As she watched him strike she noticed the way his demeanor changed. He looked calm and focused, the tension in his shoulders loosening as whatever had him restless eased away with every punch. He seemed more familiar than ever but still she couldn’t place him.

\--

The girls had left for home, an apartment building they rented from, and Furiosa was getting ready to shut everything down when the man placed a stack of bills in front of her. She glanced up at him before counting it out. A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Welcome to the gym.”

He nodded and moved to leave, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder and headed towards the door.

“Can I get a name?” Furiosa called out to him and the man froze. After a few moments he turned slightly.

“Max,” he said softly. “My name is Max.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! Feedback is much appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 2

The smell of something delicious wafting through the air woke Furiosa before her alarm did. After dressing and brushing her teeth she made her way downstairs, finding Keep in the kitchen.

After her mother died, Furiosa had been taken in and raised by the older woman. Keep had been like a sister to Mary Jo, an aunt and then second mother to young Fury. When Furiosa lost her arm and, subsequently, her MMA career, she returned to Citadel, living with Keep as she recovered and figured out what to do next. It had been Keep who encouraged her to start coaching.

“Mmmm, smells good in here,” she hummed, grabbing a mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Made your favorite - chicken tikka. You can take it to work with you and share with the girls.”

“I’d rather have it for breakfast,” she moved to dip her finger in the sauce but Keep slapped her hand away.

“You’ll do no such thing!” She laughed and Furiosa handed her tupperware containers in defeat. Keep opened the oven and pulled out two omelets she had been keeping warm and slid them onto plates on the table. Both of them sat down to enjoy the delicious meal.

“Do you need any help at the restaurant today?”

“No, no, Val’s coming in. Got all the help I need between you two.” Keep owned her own restaurant, growing her own produce on a large plot of land behind it. Furiosa often helped out, much of what she learned about business coming from her time spent at the restaurant.

“How are things at the gym? Any more vandals?”

“No, not yet. Hoping to hear back about the tourney in Corvidae soon.”

“Joe still got his boys in Black Springs and Galena freezing you out of tournaments?”

Furiosa sighed and nodded, looking annoyed. Tournament organizers in those cities were good friends with Joe. His fighters drew large crowds to competitions. When she left all Joe had to do was pick up the phone and suddenly the closest tournament she could get into was three hours and a state line away in Corvidae. Without tournaments the girls couldn’t get wins and she couldn’t get her name out there as a coach to bring in new customers.

Keep patted her hand in sympathy. “Continue planting those seeds, Fury, they’ll grow.”

Furiosa smiled softly and nodded before standing and taking their empty plates to the sink and rinsing them off. Keep packed the chicken tikka along with containers of rice and vegetables into a thermal bag for her and they said good bye with a quick touch of foreheads.

\--

Day after day Max returned to the gym, working out until closing time. He’d start with stretches and a quick jog, then move on to the punching bag where he stayed for the rest of the day, stopping only for water and a quick snack.

During these short breaks Furiosa noticed him watching the girls’ sparring matches. Not just watching though. Analyzing. The way he nodded and almost smiled at successful takedowns. Frowned at a poor stance. Cocked his head when they tried new moves. When she noticed this, she started watching him fight the punching bag and one thing became very clear.

Max was familiar with mixed martial arts.

“A picture would last longer,” Cheedo quipped, catching her staring at the newcomer.

Furiosa snorted and resumed folding freshly laundered towels; Cheedo picked one up as well, folding it as her eyes stared across the room at Max.

“Wonder what’s got him so high strung?” Cheedo mused.

“Hm?”

“Every day he comes in here looking so . . . on edge.”

Furiosa shrugged. She’d noticed that as well. The way fighting eased the restlessness in him hadn’t gone unnoticed either. Fighting gave a person focus, an anchor that allowed everything else to go quiet. That was something she could understand. When Furiosa was only fourteen her mother died suddenly and she found herself in desperate need of getting away from the all-consuming grief. Mixed martial arts had given her that space.

Just as they were putting the towels away, Capable arrived, already dressed in shorts and a sports bra (worn beneath a light jacket), her bright red hair pulled up into a ponytail. Cheedo greeted her with a grin and quick hug, taking her bag to the ladies’ locker room.

“How’s Splendid?”

“She finally got an appointment at the health center for tomorrow. I’ll take her on my way to practice, she’ll walk here after.” Living in the same apartment complex, the younger women often shared rides and the health center was only a block from the gym.

Furiosa nodded. Cheedo emerged from the locker rooms having changed into proper MMA attire as well and both girls got started on their warm-up routine.

\--

Closing time had nearly arrived and Furiosa gathered up dirty towels to throw in the wash as her one and only customer headed for the showers. Moments later she heard a muffled yell and the sound of rushing water. Not like a shower being turned on, more like ten at once. Max walked out of the locker room drenched in water, his expression looking reminiscent of a dog that’s had a hose turned on him.

“Pipe’s broken,” he said flatly and gestured over his shoulder.

Furiosa withheld her amused smile at his drenched appearance and handed him a fresh towel before entering the men’s locker room. Her amusement died quickly at the sight of water flooding the entire locker room.

“Figures,” she muttered under her breath as she crossed the room to shut off the water valve. Plumbing was one of many things the old building needed updated but she had hoped it would’ve lasted a while longer. No such luck.

She heard the door open and saw Max walk in carrying an armful of towels, dropping them on the floor to start soaking up some of the water.

“Got a mop?”

“You don’t have to clean up, I can get it,” she answered. Max shrugged but made no move to leave so Furiosa let it go. “I have two.”

Working from the door they began pushing the excess water towards the floor drains. The work was slow, both of them careful with their feet on the slick tiled surface. It was quiet too, the only noise the wet swishing of mops sliding across the floor.

“You ever fight professionally?” The question had been on her mind for awhile now after observing him with the punching bag.

Max froze, his back to her. After a few moments he gave an indecipherable grunt and resumed mopping. Furiosa took the hint and let him be.

Once the floor was sufficiently dry, she took his mop and he picked up the soggy towels, following her to the laundry room and dumping them in the washer.

“Thank you for the help. I’ll get a plumber in here tomorrow. And . . .” Furiosa paused, hoping she wasn’t overstepping, “if you ever want a partner that fights back . . .”

Max stared at her in surprise but he didn’t look upset at the offer. He considered it for a few moments before giving her an answer, nodding.

“Tomorrow?”

She gave him a single nod with a half smile. It had been a long time since she’d gotten to do more than coach in the ring. Max nodded again and turned to leave, picking up his duffel bag on the way out.

Furiosa shut off the lights and locked everything up before climbing into her truck and heading towards home. Barely ten blocks from the gym she spotted Max walking down the street. She pulled up beside him and rolled down her window.

“Need a ride?”

Max jumped and took a step away from the curb. Even in the orange glow of streetlights she could see he’d gone pale. He shook his head.

“No, mm, s’not far,” he muttered, taking another step back and refusing to meet her eyes.

Bewildered, Furiosa watched him walk away and disappear into the shadows of an unlit alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise there will be actual sparring in this fic! Next chapter in fact, which I'm a good chunk of the way through!
> 
> Couple of notes - I changed Gas Town and Bullet Farm to Black Springs (because oil) and Galena (lead is harvested from galena and lead makes bullets). Also Corvidae is a reference to "creepy place with all the crows." I can deal with the unusual character names but I wanted the towns to be a little more normal-sounding, hehe.
> 
> About Furiosa's prosthesis. It's obviously not like the one she had in the movie, it looks more like the prosthetics we see now, but it has the same dexterity and movement that one had.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, feedback would be much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

When Max arrived the next morning Furiosa was already dressed. She gave him a soft smile in greeting and he returned it with a nod, grateful she didn’t bring up last night. Before removing her prosthesis she taped up her right hand and pulled on a glove. After warm ups they stepped into the ring, adrenaline spiking.

For several minutes they circled each other, almost dancing across the floor on the balls of their feet. Max was the first to approach, taking a swing Furiosa blocked and retreating. She followed him, attempting her own jabs before bouncing away and they circled each other again. Lunging forward she threw punches at him, landing one to his cheek and another to his ribs but he retaliated, landing two jabs to her ribs.

Slow to start, the match was intensifying as both of them got back into the groove of sparring. So intensely focused on each other, neither noticed Capable, Toast, Cheedo, and Dag arriving. The girls shared a look then pulled up chairs to sit and watch.

Max attempted a takedown, throwing a left shoulder into Furiosa’s stomach. She grunted as air left her lungs. He was trying to get his arms around her legs but she moved backwards with his lunge, twisting the left side of her body out of his reach and shoving his shoulder down, forcing him to hands and knees on the mat. She landed another right hook to his face but he blocked a second and they retreated, breathing heavily. His cheek was red and starting to swell, her ribs ached from the hits he landed.

Furiosa charged with a snarl, getting her right arm around his neck and pulling him close, forcing a knee into his stomach and he gasped. Max threw a short jab at her face. The arm around his neck loosened and he took the opportunity to break her hold, wrapping his arms around her in a tight bear hug and lifting her off her feet. Furiosa knew what was coming and wrapped her legs around his waist as he slammed her back into the floor.

Max cursed himself. She had him right where she wanted him - with her legs locked around his waist she had better control. She smirked and the struggle began as Max tried to get free. Eventually he managed to get her legs from his waist to wrapped around his right leg. His cheek was bleeding now and his chest reddening from the hits she landed.

From this position she was unable to block his elbows, grunting in pain as he landed one after another. After a particularly loud groan of pain Max stopped, holding himself above her. Furiosa’s eyes were closed and she was taking quick shallow breaths.

“Hook your arms under mine. Pull me to you.”

Her eyes opened and she stared at him. That was the most he’d ever said and he was telling her how to block him. She did what he said and wrapped her arms under his, hooking them over his shoulders. her left arm was just long enough to get a good grip. They were now chest to chest, his elbows stuck pointing outwards.

“See?”

Furiosa nodded and Max moved to push away from her but she wasn’t finished yet. Her grip on his shoulders tightened, keeping him close, and she moved her legs, getting them back around his waist again. She let go of his shoulders and grinned at the look on his face. Grabbing his right wrist and pulling it to his left and out of her way, Furiosa moved her left leg onto his shoulder. A second too late Max realized what she was doing and found his head and left arm in a choke hold between her legs. She didn’t get her feet hooked in time and with a growl Max broke free and shoved her away. Not even a second later she felt his arm wrapping around her throat as he pulled her back to his chest. Gasping for air she struggled but realized quickly that she couldn’t break the hold. Max felt her tap his arm and released her.

Both of them stood and Furiosa pulled two towels hanging from the ropes and handed one to Max. She was startled to find the girls sitting there watching them, grins on each of their faces; watching their coach spar had been a real treat. Amused, she ordered them to start warming up before she turned back to Max. She was impressed; he knew his stuff and he’d beaten her.

Max was watching the girls start their warm up. He looked calm and relaxed, a look that from Furiosa’s observation, usually took all day to achieve. His eyes met hers and they shared a smile; neither had realized just how much they’d needed that match. 

The sudden sound of screeching tires shattered the calm. Max visibly flinched, eyes widening and his head jerking towards the source of the noise. Moments later they heard doors slamming shut and loud voices from a group of people approaching the gym. Furiosa’s attention was taken from Max as the front door opened and three of Joe’s boys walked in. She’d recognize Rictus anywhere — his tall stature and bulky build put him heads and shoulders above most. Morsov was considerably smaller, but Furiosa knew how vicious he could get in the ring.

“Hello ladies.”

Furiosa’s lip curled in disgust as she exited the ring. Slit. He’d been an annoying prick with a shit-eating grin when she worked at Joe’s and she could tell not a thing had changed about him. The three of them were looking around, pointing at a crack in the wall or water stain on the ceiling, snickering.

“What are you doing here?” Toast snarled, approaching. Capable and Dag followed her, standing on either side of her, eyes narrowed in defiant glares. Cheedo came up next to Dag, also looking defiant but nervous as well.

“We can’t just stop by and say hello to old-”

“No,” Furiosa snapped, stepping in front of Toast.

“Aw, c’mon Boss,” Morsov drawled, using her old title. “We just wanted to see how you’re doing after leaving us like that. Immortan misses you.”

Furiosa snorted at the nickname Joe had given himself; she’d refused to call him that even when working for him.

“We were nothing but eye candy to him,” a cold voice sounded behind the unwelcome guests and they turned to see Splendid in the doorway. Immediately Furiosa knew something was wrong, her cheeks puffy and eyes red, glaring at the three visitors and moving to stand with Toast and the rest. “He didn’t teach us anything.”

“Just put us in skimpy outfits and called us “Wives,’” Capable spat.

“Like any of you are gonna be winning tournaments with her,” Slit sneered at Furiosa until he caught sight of Max sitting on a bench and unwrapping his hands. “Who’s that? Who’s dumb enough to come here instead of Joe’s?”

“Wait a minute . . .” Rictus’ eyes narrowed at Max, who just happened to look up and see him. Even halfway across the gym Furiosa could see the color drain from his face. “That’s Max!”

“No way!” Morsov exclaimed.

Furiosa and the girls shared a confused look as Rictus, Slit, and Morsov approached Max, who stood up and looked ready to bolt but he was cornered.

“What are you idiots talking about?” Dag asked.

Furiosa’s jaw nearly dropped when she suddenly realized.

“‘Mad Max’ Rockatansky,” she muttered, finally understanding why Max seemed so familiar to her. He’d been a fighter for Joe, one of his best, working his way up the ranks in the UFC until he suddenly disappeared from the sport. That had been over ten years ago, before Furiosa worked for Joe but she’d known who “Mad Max” Rockatansky was.

“What are you doing here?” Rictus asked, but Max remained silent.

“Check his knee, Ric,” Slit said, pointing at the brace on Max’s leg. “Your dad’s old glory boy is useless.”

Max flinched at the word ‘useless’ and Furiosa had had enough, stalking towards them. It was a long reach but she got her hand around Rictus’ throat in a tight grip and yanked him backward. He gasped and stumbled backwards, clawing at her arm, until she shoved him through the front door where he landed flat on his ass on the hard pavement.

“Get out and stay out,” she snarled at Slit and Morsov as they hurried to help Rictus up. She slammed the door and locked it before turning back to Max and the girls.

“Go to my office, we’ll talk in a minute,” she said softly, gesturing Splendid and the others towards her office before approaching Max. She could tell he was shaking as he shoved the tape and his gloves into a bag. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been dealing with them since I left Joe.”

Max snorted, voice bitter. “You don’t leave. He throws you away.”

She almost asked him what happened with Joe but it was none of her business. Max zipped up his bag and hefted it over his shoulder. Furiosa felt her stomach drop. He was leaving, probably never to return, but she didn’t know what to say, voice stuck in her throat. When he reached the door and unlocked it she finally managed to ask-

“See you tomorrow?”

He glanced at her for a second before nodding once and opening the door.

Furiosa felt her shoulders relax as she turned and headed towards her office at the back of the building. She could hear the girls talking but they went quiet when she appeared in the doorway. Toast was leaning on her desk and Splendid was sitting in one of the chairs in front of it, Capable sitting on the arm of the chair, her arm around Splendid’s shoulders. Cheedo was on the floor in front of her, head on her knee, Dag sitting next to her. Splendid had tears running down her face; Furiosa stared at her questioningly, waiting patiently.

“I’m pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just going to let you know right now, Joe isn't the father of Splendid's baby. I really didn't want to go that route with this fic. Next chapter is written and waiting for beta. I'll post it once I've got chapter 5 written; I like to stay a chapter ahead.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Furiosa sat down in the other chair in front of her desk as Splendid held her face in her hands.

“I don’t know how this happened. We were so careful.”

“Does Xander know yet?”

Splendid shook her head, “I’m going to talk to him tonight.” A sob escaped her throat and she looked up at Furiosa, eyes wide with desperation. “What am I going to do? I can’t fight anymore! How am I-”

“You have options,” Furiosa said gently but sternly. “One step at a time. You need to talk to Xander, see where he stands.” Splendid nodded, accepting a tissue from Toast.

“What about fighting? Am I done here?” She asked quietly.

“With fighting, yes. For now.”

“But that doesn’t mean she’s leaving the gym, right?” Cheedo asked, looking between the two of them.

“That’s her choice,” Furiosa replied. “I still see plenty of things for you to do here.”

Splendid nodded, still looking despondent but calmer. She was just starting her career in mixed martial arts. If she kept the baby, Splendid was looking at nearly a year with almost no training. And when she did have the baby how would she find the time and energy to dedicate to both training and raising a child?

“Why don’t you four give us a minute?”

Cheedo, Dag, Capable, and Toast gave Splendid quick hugs, then filed out the door to resume their warmups. Furiosa pulled her chair closer to Splendid and waited for her to meet her eyes.

“I can’t pretend to understand what you’re going through. But whatever you decide, whatever happens, you’re not alone. Do you understand me?”

Splendid’s eyes filled with tears again and Furiosa pulled her forehead to hers and held it there for several moments. When the tears and trembling stopped, she let go and handed her another tissue.

“Thank you,” Splendid said, voice thick. Furiosa nodded and stood up, moving around her desk and starting up her laptop.

“If you’re up to it, I need someone working the front desk and calling a plumber for a busted pipe in the men’s locker room.”

Nodding once, Splendid stood and left the room.

When her e-mail loaded Furiosa’s stomach did a flip. Organizers of the Corvidae tournament had finally sent a response. They were in.

\--

With two months to prepare, Furiosa kicked their training into high gear, working them from morning to night. By the end of every day she barely had the energy to clean up and shut down the gym. So focused on training her fighters she didn’t even notice Max coming in most days, although she was eager to find the time to spar with him again.

At the end of a particularly long day, she collapsed into the front desk chair with a sigh, eyes closed and rubbing her forehead as a headache set in. Something cold and wet tapping her shoulder had her opening her eyes to find Max holding out a water bottle. She took it with a grateful smile, untwisting the cap and taking a long sip.

He walked away and started gathering towels for another load of laundry before moving on to the equipment, sanitizing and wiping it down. Furiosa would’ve argued with him but she was so exhausted, her head starting to throb, that she could only sit and watch. She took some ibuprofen and by the time he had finished cleaning the equipment her headache was dying down. Max picked up his bag, moving towards the door, and Furiosa stood up.

“Thank you. You really didn’t have to do that, I was going to leave it until morning.”

Max shrugged; it kept his hands busy and mind quiet. The longer he could stay away from home, the better; there was nothing for him there.

“Long way to go,” he said, nodding at the calendar behind her, the date for the Corvidae tournament circled. “Not much time.”

“I know,” Furiosa sighed. “They’re good fighters but they’re still green and there’s not enough hours in the day to teach all of them,” she admitted.

“I could . . . if you want . . .” he fell silent, looking away.

“Help me coach?”

“Mm,” he nodded, glancing at her. Furiosa stared at him, unsure what to make of his offer. She knew he’d been a fighter, a damn good one too. But something happened and she didn’t know if whatever happened would come back to bite her in the ass too if she let him get too close.

“Why?” It came out harsher than she intended and Max ducked his head and shifted from foot to foot before meeting her eyes again.

“Keeps me busy,” he answered honestly.

“Keeps it quiet,” she said gently, her face softening. Max wasn’t surprised she understood what he’d meant. He nodded and looked away. Furiosa regarded him for a few moments, considering the options. “Okay then.” She pulled a set of keys on a key ring from the desk drawer, pulling one off and tossing it to him. “I’ll see you here at seven to go over what each of them needs. Can you bring coffee?”

Max pocketed the key and nodded again, almost smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's pretty short, I'm really sorry! That just felt like a good place to stop. Chapter 5 is almost done so I'm hoping to have it out by the end of the week!
> 
> And I've been total crap about replying to comments but I will get to that this week too! Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos! :D


	5. Chapter 5

  
As promised, Max arrived at 7 a.m. on the dot, bag over his shoulder and two cups of coffee in hand.  Furiosa got the door for him and took the coffee he offered with a grateful smile. They went straight to work, going over her notes for each of the fighters.

“From our sparring match I’m guessing submissions are your strength?”

“Mm.” Max nodded.

“Ok, I’ll have you start out with Cheedo and Capable today.  They need the most work with submissions.”

Max nodded, studying her notes, and Furiosa checked the clock.  They’d gotten through it faster than she thought they would; the girls wouldn’t be arriving for another hour.

“They’re not going to be here until around nine.  Warm up with a rematch?”

Max looked up from the notes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Alright.”

\--

Their eyes were locked as they circled the ring.  Max felt himself relax as he trained his focus on Furiosa, everything else receding to the back of his mind.  She made the first move, throwing quick jabs at his ribs but he blocked them and she retreated.  He followed, taking a swing at her face but she ducked and landed a jab to his side so he backed off.

Max thought she should have been wearing war paint for the face she was giving him - eyes locked in an intense gaze, mouth set in a hard line, except for the beginning of a smirk.  He got the feeling he’d stepped into a trap but it was too late to escape.  Furiosa knew he could submit her so she was eager to show him what she could do: knockouts.

She charged at him again and for nearly a minute they exchanged jabs, dodging and blocking, until a hard right hook to his cheek sent Max stumbling back towards the edge of the ring.  He definitely hadn’t been expecting the power behind that strike.  It wasn’t even a full strength hit since they were only sparring but she’d managed to shake him.

Max had barely regained his balance when she was on him with a high kick that nearly knocked him off balance again.  Furiosa followed up with another right hook but he blocked it and wrapped his arms around hers, locking hands behind her back, to stop the hits.  She struggled and failed to break his hold so she settled for quick jabs and knees to his ribs.  Max landed a couple of knees to her side as well but neither made much progress, so they stopped and returned to the center of the ring to begin again.

“Head still ringing?” she teased as they circled each other.

“A bit,” he ceded with a half smile.

They touched gloves to signal the restart and Furiosa wasted no time throwing another hook and high kick.  Max retaliated with his own right hook but she saw it coming and blocked it, immediately following up with another hard right hook that sent him staggering back.  Before he recovered from the hit Furiosa finished it with an uppercut to his chin.  Max couldn’t regain his balance and fell backwards, hitting the floor with a grunt.

He sat, dazed, for a moment until Furiosa held out her hand to help him up.  It was clear she’d bested him this round so they called it quits before they pushed too far and someone got hurt.

\--

Over the following weeks, Furiosa and Max worked hard to prepare the girls for their first tournament.  Max focused on teaching them submission techniques with jiu jitsu while Furiosa coached them on stand up with muay thai.  Occasionally they would use each other to demonstrate techniques they were trying to teach.  Sparring, however, was reserved for when the girls weren’t there, allowing themselves to enjoy a match for the sake of the fight and nothing else.

Currently, Furiosa had Max in the ring to help her show them how to take advantage of an opponent’s takedown.  Cheedo, Dag, Capable and Toast stood on the edge of the ring, waiting and watching eagerly.

“Okay Max, I want you to do the shoot takedown.  Try to get your arms around my legs then pause.”

He nodded and put his right shoulder to her stomach.  His left arm curled around her right leg to pull it up and push her off balance and onto the floor but he didn’t pull up, pausing in the takedown as she’d asked.

“When they’re trying to get your feet out from under you, lean over them, get your arms around their rib cage,” she said, leaning over Max’s back and wrapping her arms around his chest as best she could with one and a half arms.  “He’s trying to get my right leg up so I’m going to pivot on my left foot and twist, pulling him around me with my right arm.”

Furiosa locked her left leg, tightened her grip around him. With a grunt, she twisted her body and pulled him around until he was sprawled on his back beneath her.  She got up and offered him a hand before demonstrating the move a second time.  As she was about to separate them into pairs to practice the front door creaked open and Splendid walked in smiling from ear to ear.  At Furiosa’s nod Toast, Cheedo, Capable, and Dag rushed to greet her.

“How did it go?-”

“Is it a boy or girl?-”

“Still a tiny little bean isn’t it?-”

“You gonna tell us or what?-”

Each of them bombarded her with questions as she dug through her purse and pulled out an envelope.  Furiosa approached the group but Max held back.  He sat down on a bench and started taping his hands in preparation for the coaching session when it resumed, but he was listening in.

“It’s a boy!” Splendid exclaimed, holding out the ultrasound photos.

Cheedo and Capable cooed over them while Dag said he looked like a little alien now with the giant eyes and tiny limbs.

“You guys get any baby stuff yet?” Toast asked.  Splendid’s face fell a little.

“No, not yet. Xander-”  She stopped, choosing to change direction with the topic.  “I’m hoping to go looking around at stuff after the tourney.”

“We could make a girl’s day of it!” Capable said, looking excited.  As they started making plans Furiosa could only watch them, smiling proudly.  She was glad for the support Splendid had.

She turned to Max and her smile faltered.  He was staring at Splendid with a blank face, mind clearly somewhere else as he kept circling his knuckles with tape.  When it became clear he wasn’t going to stop, she approached and gently placed her hand over his, halting the movement.

“Max?”

He started and looked up at her before returning his attention to his hand, unwrapping it.  He mumbled a quiet thanks and Furiosa stared at him for a moment.  She knew something was up with him but her gut wasn’t ringing warning bells so she chose to listen to it and leave him be.  Moving on to plans for the tournament the upcoming week, she asked:

“Will you be driving to Corvidae yourself or riding with us?”

Max’s head jerked up to stare at her again, frowning in confusion for a split second until his eyes widened at a sudden realization.  _‘Stupid, stupid, stupid’_ echoed in his head. _‘Of course they would be-’_

“I can’t . . . go.”

“ _What?!_ ”  Furiosa realized her small outburst had gotten the attention of the girls so she gestured Max towards her office for a more private conversation.  She followed him into the room and closed the door.

“What do you mean you can’t go?”

Max looked everywhere but at her and remained silent, his demeanor once again reminding her of a trapped animal.  She sank into her chair with a sigh, rubbing her temple.

“You don’t have to tell me what your issue is, Max,” she said resignedly.  “But I — they need someone they can rely on and that includes being there for tournaments.”

Max nodded and sat down.  Furiosa sensed he was trying to find the words so she waited.

“Cars . . . driving . . . I can’t.” His voice sounded choked, as if fighting to get those words out.  His hands were gripping the armrests and he was staring at his left knee.  His eyes squeezed shut as memories he tried to bury rose to the surface.

_A flash of headlights.  The sound of screeching tires and then groaning metal.  Glass shattered, raining diamond splinters everywhere.  Their terrified screams were the last thing he heard before everything went black._

He gasped and lurched forward in the chair shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the memories.  Furiosa came around her desk and sat next to him but didn’t touch him.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s alright,” her voice was soft and gentle.  She kept repeating those words and Max held onto them like a rope, letting them pull him out of his own head.  He opened his eyes and glanced at her concerned face before looking away and concentrating on his breathing.

“Car accident.”  He choked out at last, voice so quiet Furiosa barely heard him.  She nodded once and leaned back in her chair, thinking.  When Max finally seemed calm again she spoke.

“Is the train an option?”

Max glanced at her and nodded, looking slightly relieved.  Given his lack of desire to travel he hadn’t needed the train in a long time and pretty much forgotten about it until now.  Furiosa breathed a sigh of relief, at least he could make it to this one.  But as Max stood to leave she chose to tackle the larger issue.

“Max, I meant what I said though.  If you’re going to be a coach, we need you at tournaments and that train doesn’t go to all of them.”  
He went still.  His eyes were trained on the door as she stared up at him, waiting.  He gave a low grunt, nodding once, before pulling open the door and walking out.  Furiosa didn’t know what he meant but when she heard him call Toast and Dag to the ring she hoped it was a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy, I can't believe I forgot to do this but HUGE thank you goes out to fromanancientearth on Tumblr for throwing the Mad Max MMA AU idea out there and helping me out with this fic. Hugely supportive given my lack of knowledge about MMA. She choreographs all the fight scenes for me and in general is just the best person to flail over a fic with. :)
> 
> I am barely into chapter 6 right now but I'm impatient so I hope you enjoyed! Next up is the tournament!!!
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

When Furiosa and the girls entered the hotel lobby Max was already waiting for them, having taken the early morning train in order to arrive in time for tournament registration and weigh-ins. He handed Furiosa the card keys to the second room she’d booked for their stay and, once again, found himself waiting while they took their stuff upstairs.  Less than fifteen minutes later, they emerged from the elevators and Max joined them as they headed towards the hall that joined the hotel with the arena next door.

“I’m starving!” Toast groaned.  Dag, Capable, and Cheedo mumbled their agreement.

“We’re a little early so registration and weigh-in shouldn’t take too long,” Splendid answered.  Even though she wouldn’t be fighting, she had come to provide support to her sisters.

Along with training for fights, Max and Furiosa had been coaching the girls on cutting and maintaining weight through proper diet and hydration.  In preparation for weigh-ins each of them had been instructed to abstain from water for at least a day prior to the tournament in order to ensure they weren’t heavier than what their weight class allowed.  Once weigh-ins were finished they’d have twenty-four hours to rehydrate for the competition.  Currently, all four of them were starting to feel the effects of no water - tired and slow, simple tasks taking more energy than usual.  They just wanted to get through with the formalities so they could go eat and get some water.

After signing in and receiving their access passes, they moved on to weigh-ins.  Capable and Dag were in the lightweight category, Cheedo and Toast in the featherweight class.  Each of them were close to the top of their weight class but, unsurprisingly, not over the set limit.

With the weigh-ins complete, and limited time to rehydrate, they made a beeline for the hotel restaurant for dinner.  Max and Furiosa shared a look over the menus and silently agreed not to order anything the girls couldn’t have currently.

“You don’t have to eat like us,” Cheedo said, noticing their choice of meal.

“We know,” Furiosa smiled.

“Joe would,” Max said, his mouth twisted into a grimace.  “Eat in front of us.”  He remembered many tournaments watching Joe enjoy a rich meal while he and the other fighters were stuck with bland food.  Furiosa’s lip curled in disgust remembering Joe’s rudeness as well.  Neither of them were going to be that kind of coach.

“So, why didn’t you coach for him after . . .?” Dag asked, sipping water.  He had been one of Joe’s fighters.  Why couldn’t he have become one of his coaches after his fighting career ended?  Furiosa glanced at him wondering how he’d handle the personal question.

“Couldn’t,” he replied gruffly, a dark look passing over his face.  They waited for him to elaborate, but he remained silent, ignoring their questioning looks.

“Why not?” Capable prodded.  Furiosa remained silent.  She could have told them to leave him be or changed the subject but she wanted to see him under a little pressure, see if it set off any warning bells.

Max closed his eyes but withheld his sigh.

“After my knee . . . wasn’t in a place to be coaching anyone,” he said quietly, praying they’d stop pushing.  Furiosa caught Dag about to ask another question and, reading the look on Max’s face, she intervened.

“It’s really difficult . . . when your career ends abruptly,” she began, gesturing with her prosthetic hand.  “There’s a lot of pain and anger.  What-could-have-beens.  It takes time to let go.”  Max nodded his agreement and shot her a grateful look.

“Life has a habit of being unexpected, doesn’t it?” Splendid laughed softly, rubbing her stomach, and the others grinned as the conversation shifted.

\--

The next day started early.  The first rounds of the women’s tournament weren’t set to begin until around noon, but the all of them wanted to watch a few rounds of the men’s fights.  Two matches down, the third was set to start, and the host entered the ring to introduce the next fighters.

“Are you ready for match three?” His voice boomed across the stadium as cheers erupted from the crowd.  The audience was anticipating this match in particular - one of Joe’s fighters was set to compete. “Well then, without further ado, let me introduce welterweight contender and one of ‘Immortan’ Joe’s War Boys from Citadel . . . NUX!”

The crowd roared as the spotlight shifted to the edge of the arena where Nux stood, his head bowed and arms raised, fingers crossed.  He turned and bowed to Joe who gave him a nod, then began his walk to the ring.

“That’s new,” Max muttered.

“He started that with the fighters about five years ago.  Didn’t think they gave him enough respect,” Furiosa replied and Max snorted.

Nux made it to the edge of the ring where the referee checked him out as the host announced his opponent: Axel, a fighter from Corvidae.  When both made it into the ring, the referee told them the rules, they touched gloves, and the fight began.

It was clear from the beginning that Nux was struggling.  He barely won the first round and Axel tied them by winning the second.  Furiosa and the others could hear Joe yelling at him from where they were sitting and they shared uncomfortable looks.

The third round ended quickly - Axel won with a knockout punch.  In a fit of rage, Joe roared “MEDIOCRE!” and stormed off, leaving Nux sitting on the ring floor with the referee and medic.  Max and Furiosa shared wide-eyed looks of shock.  None of Joe’s fighters had ever lost in the first round and they’d never seen him lose his composure like that at a tournament.

“How could he do that?  Just abandon him?” Capable asked, looking dumbfounded.  All of them watched as Nux finally stood up and shook Axel’s hand before leaving the ring and disappearing into the hall towards the locker room.  None of them envied what he had waiting for him there.

\--

The women’s tournament was about to begin and Toast was up first.  She sat on one of the benches in the locker room, earbuds in her ears, and her head nodding to the beat as she stared blankly at the lockers in front of her.  Furiosa applied Vaseline to her face and helped her tape her hands but otherwise the team left her alone.  When it was time, Max tapped her on the shoulder and she pulled the earbuds from her ears, handing her iPod off to Cheedo, who was next.  Splendid, Dag, Cheedo, and Capable wished her good luck as Furiosa and Max followed her to the ring.  Her opponent, Ava from Black Springs, entered the ring soon after and the fight began.

They touched gloves then circled each other.  Toast noted that Ava was nearly a head taller than she was, giving her a reach advantage.  Ava advanced first, throwing jabs and Toast returned them as they felt each other out.  Toast lunged, going for Ava’s ribs and landing a few hits but Ava retaliated, landing a punch to her stomach before retreating.

Seconds later, Ava approached again, taking furious swings at Toast, pushing her towards the edge of the ring, but her hits were blocked.  Toast waited for an opening and when it came she had no mercy.  She threw a hard uppercut sending Ava reeling backwards and then launched herself at her opponent, taking her to the floor and throwing punches until the referee pulled her off.

The referee pushed her towards her stool as Max entered the ring.  She sat down and looked around him while he checked her hands.  Ava wasn’t moving, she was out cold.  A moment later the referee pulled Toast to the center of the ring and held her hand up to loud cheers from the crowd.  She’d won by knockout.

Toast looked at Max, a grin spreading across her face, and he smiled at her as Furiosa joined them in the ring, pulling Toast’s forehead to hers and grinning with her.

They returned to the locker room and Toast was tackled by the others in a giant group hug and deafened by their cheers.  The rest of the day passed relatively well.  Cheedo, Dag, and Capable all won their first round matches too, but Dag and Cheedo lost their second fights.  The losses had been close though, a struggle to the end of the third round.  Already there was buzz about the women’s team from Citadel with two fighters in the finals and two others that weren’t defeated easily.

The third and final rounds for Toast and Capable weren’t until the next day to give finalists a chance to rest up for the last fight.  As all of them retired to the hotel rooms for the evening it was in good spirits.

Max had just stepped out of the bathroom when he heard a soft knock on his door.  Walking across the room and pulling the door open, he found Furiosa waiting, laptop under one arm and plastic bag hanging from her elbow.  She gave him a sheepish smile when she noticed he looked as if he’d just gotten out of the shower - wet hair, towel over his shoulders and no shirt.

“Sorry, I just needed a little . . .” her pause was finished by the muffled sound of laughter from the girls in the room next door.

“Quiet?” he finished for her, smirking.

“Yeah,” she replied, grinning, as he opened the door further to allow her in.  “I didn’t come empty handed either.”  She reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a pint of ice cream.  Max stared at it like a man dying of thirst.  Furiosa laughed and tossed it at him before sitting down on one of the beds and opening her laptop.

Max pulled on a shirt and sat down on the other bed.  She handed him a spoon before pulling out her own ice cream.

“Mmmmm,” he groaned, taking a bite.  “If there’s one thing I don’t miss about fighting . . .”

Furiosa hummed in agreement sucking on her own spoon.  One thing she did miss, however, was someone else scheduling the tournaments.  Her computer powered up, she began researching other competitions, something she hadn’t had time to do in the last few weeks leading up to the current tournament.  There were other places to compete; it was simply a matter of whether or not it was cost effective to go.

“That one’s not much farther than Corvidae . . .” she thought out loud.

“Black Springs and Galena.”

“Joe has me frozen out, remember?”

“Not after this,” Max said simply.  With as well as the team was doing here they wouldn’t be able to say no to having them compete.

“We’ll see,” Furiosa sighed, refusing to get her hopes up.  They lapsed into comfortable silence as she kept searching.  Max finished his ice cream and started stretching his left leg, working the stiff knee.

“I want . . . to coach,” Max said suddenly.  Furiosa looked at him and he held the stare, instead of looking away.

“Good,” she smiled, glad to know where he stood but that still begged the question: “How are you going to get to tournaments?”

Max dropped his gaze with a sigh and his shoulders fell.  He gave a halfhearted shrug and remained silent.  Furiosa was quiet for a long while too as she mulled over a thought that occurred to her.

“When I was a kid and I was afraid of something,” she began, her voice soft.  “My mom would make me face what it is I was afraid of. ‘Don’t let that weed grow, Furi,’ she’d say.” Furiosa paused, smiling at the memory of her mother.  She turned her eyes back to Max, “Maybe that’s what you need too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I want to get the next chapter up by Friday. Kudos and comments are much appreciated. :)


	7. Chapter 7

“Take your time,” Furiosa said quietly.  She was leaning on the back door of her truck, watching Max as he stared at the open front passenger door as if it might bite him.  He looked at her and wondered how she’d managed to drag him out here in the middle of the night with a tournament to finish tomorrow.  “Those other tournaments aren’t getting any farther away, Max,” she reminded him gently.

He sighed and strengthened his resolve.  In a quick movement, he pulled himself up into the front seat and sat there with eyes closed and fists clenched in his lap, trying to keep his breathing calm.

“It’s okay.  You’re doing good,” Furiosa encouraged, moving to stand beside him.  “Just breathe.”

Several minutes passed and Max opened his eyes to look at her.  He had a tired but proud smile.

“How long has it been?”  She prodded gently.  He shrugged a shoulder and stared at his hands.

“Ten years,” he finally answered.  Furiosa was taken aback.  Ten _years_?  An entire decade of avoiding cars?

“How-?”

“Lost everything.”  His voice was low and thick.  He looked up at her again and her breath caught in her throat.  Sorrow.  Deep-seated sorrow radiated off him in waves and Furiosa suddenly realized there was more to that car accident than a busted knee.  Gone was the proud smile and his eyes glazed over in a thousand-yard stare.

“Hey, stay with me.”  She didn’t know why she did it but Furiosa found herself reaching out and cupping his face with her right hand.  “Don’t go there.  It’s okay.  It’s alright,” she said gently.

Slowly, his eyes cleared and focused on her. He gave her a sad but grateful smile and she dropped her hand, backing away.

“I think . . . I think that’s a good start,” she said as he stepped down from the vehicle and shut the door.  Max grunted and nodded before they made their way back to the hotel for the night.

\--

The bell rang, signaling the start of the third round.  Capable was getting tired but she didn’t look as exhausted as her opponent, Nadia, who was sporting two swollen eyes and seemed to be favoring her ribs.

They touched gloves and a second later Capable threw a hard jab and a kick, but both were blocked.  Nadia threw a couple jabs of her own until Capable grabbed her neck and pulled her close.  They exchanged hits for several seconds but it was clear both were getting tired - neither made much progress, so the referee pulled them apart for a restart.

Immediately, Capable charged, wrapping her arms around Nadia’s legs and forcing her to fall to the floor.  Nadia got her legs locked around Capable’s waist, trapping her, but she failed to block the elbow jabs.  Time ticking down, Capable could hear Furiosa telling her to get out of her opponent’s full guard.  She grabbed and pinned Nadia’s upper arms to the floor and then straightened out her own legs so she was standing, Nadia’s legs still wrapped around her waist.  Capable forced a knee between Nadia’s legs as she sat down, breaking her foothold.  She pinned one of Nadia’s legs with the knee she used to break free and started throwing hits at her ribs.  They exchanged jabs again until the bell rang, calling the fight to an end.

Capable retreated and sat on the stool Max brought in while the judges deliberated the last round to determine the winner.

“How’d I do?”  She asked, out of breath, as Max took her mouthguard and gave her a towel and water bottle.

He gave her a half smile and thumbs up before checking her face and ribs.  Two minutes later the referee summoned her and Nadia to the center of the ring as the host prepared to announce the winner.  Capable spotted Furiosa and the rest of the team standing outside the ring, grinning and looking hopeful.

“With a score of 30-27,” the host began, his voice echoing across the arena.  “In a unanimous decision, the winner of tonight’s Lightweight Division is . . . CAPABLE.”

The referee lifted her arm and the crowd cheered.  Furiosa and the rest charged into the ring, wrapping her up in a giant group hug.  She and Toast both had won in their respective categories and Furiosa could not have been prouder of her team.

\--

Once they had cleaned up and left the locker rooms, the group headed back towards the hall leading to the hotel to get ready to leave.  As they entered the hall, they were stopped short by a loud commotion coming from the other end.  It was Joe and his team and he didn’t sound happy.

“WORTHLESS! All of you!” He snarled at his fighters.  “I take you in and coach you and how do you repay me?  BY LOSING.”  They refused to look at him, eyes glued to the floor in shame.

Before Joe could continue his tirade, Rictus tapped his shoulder and gestured towards Furiosa and the rest as they tried to walk past.  His eyes narrowed and fists clenched, red face beginning to turn purple.  He redirected his attention to Nux, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him across the hallway.  Nux yelped and winced at the hard grip that was sure to leave a bruise.

“Let me show you where mediocre dogs belong,” Joe spat before roughly shoving Nux into Max and Capable.  “And that’s where the rest of you will end up if you don’t get your acts together!”  He threw Furiosa a disgusted look before gesturing at his team to get moving.  For the second time in two days Nux stood dumbfounded, watching his coach walk away.

“Maybe it’s the coach,” Furiosa snapped, blood boiling.  She started to march towards Joe until she found Max standing in her way, hands on her shoulders.

“Huh uh,” he shook his head.

“He doesn’t get to do that.  Treat them like that,” she ground out, trying to force her way around him but he moved with her.  “And then just walk away!”

“Furiosa.”  The way he said her name forced her to look at him.  “I _know_.”  Max had been there, done that with Joe.  He’d dealt with the yelling and put downs.  Put up with the grueling workouts and diets. And then endured getting tossed away after he couldn’t fight anymore.  “But they don’t.”  He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Joe’s remaining fighters.  Not one of them looked back at Nux.

“So we do nothing?”  Her voice was cold, eyes narrowed at him.  Max sighed and dropped his hands from her shoulders.

“They won’t listen.  I didn’t.”  Sorrow flashed across his face again as he stared at her, begging her to understand.  “They think . . . Joe is the only way.”

Furiosa stared at him for a long moment before she sighed, realizing what he said was true.  She remembered all the fighters that begged Joe to coach them.  How all of them believed he could make winners out of them.  All they saw were the titles on the wall.  They didn’t see the broken fighters left behind.  But in their own separate ways, Max and Furiosa had seen through that golden facade.

“But they’ll learn.”  He nodded towards Nux.  Furiosa turned and saw him rubbing his arm and talking quietly to Capable, seemingly congratulating her on her win if the smile on her face was any indication.  The anger she was feeling eased, small smile tugging at her lips, and she looked at Max, a similar expression on his face.

“Fine.  Let’s go home,” she relented. **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably one of my favorite chapters. Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for all the kudos and comments! :D


	8. Chapter 8

Two months had passed since the Corvidae tournament and the gym was finally seeing more customers.  Not as many as Furiosa would have liked, but she wasn’t about to complain when her bills were finally getting caught up.  She and Max hadn’t taken on any more fighters yet.  Once they got the girls more tournament experience and to the point where they didn’t need constant oversight, they planned to start coaching others.

While they hadn’t taken on more fighters, they had taken in Nux, but he was currently more of an assistant to the gym.  After Corvidae, he had needed a break from fighting and, with some prodding from Capable, Furiosa let him join.  She was busy teaching him how to use the front desk computer system when Valkyrie walked in, carrying a stack of styrofoam take-out containers.

“Busy day?” Valkyrie asked, nodding towards the gym floor where several people were in the midst of workout routines.

“Little bit.  What did Keep send us this time?”  Furiosa replied, the delicious smell of hot food coming from the take-out containers making her mouth water.

“Leftovers from today so a little of everything.  I’ve got more in my car to take to the homeless shelter so I can’t stay,” Val said, setting the containers on the desk.

“Mmm, bless her, I’m starving.  Thanks for bringing it by.” Furiosa sent Nux to her office for plates and plasticware as Max, Cheedo, Toast, Dag, and Capable made their way over, each of them familiar with Valkyrie and her occasional gifts from Keep.  “Let Keep know I’ll make dinner tonight.  You’re more than welcome to join us.”  Val smiled and nodded, then waved goodbye at the others, before taking off.

To keep from distracting customers, they gathered up the food and took it outside to the adjacent parking lot.  Furiosa dropped the tailgate to her truck so Max, Capable, and Nux could set the food and dishes down.  Opening the containers, they were greeted with an assortment of foods - meat pies, barbecue shrimp, fish and chips, steamed vegetables, chiko rolls, damper, and a pavlova topped with kiwi and strawberries.

“Can Keep adopt me too? Toast asked, piling her plate with a serving of meat pie and vegetables. Furiosa snorted and shook her head.

“She’s pretty generous if you help out at the farm.  Gave me a whole crate of fruits and vegetables to take back to the apartments last summer, remember?” Dag said.

“She’d love the extra hands.  And she’s always telling me she doesn’t see you guys enough,” Furiosa prompted them, placing a few chiko rolls on her plate.  She gave Max a meaningful look as well.  She was hoping to get him comfortable with short drives soon and Keep’s restaurant being on the edge of town and next to the highway was a good destination, she thought.  So far, she’d only managed to get the truck started, but actually driving anywhere was still too much for him.  Max caught her look and swiftly glanced away, pretending to look over more food options despite a pile of food on his plate.

Not long after they started eating, they were disturbed by the slamming of a car door and turned to see Splendid yelling and waving a fist as the car drove away.  Dag and Cheedo set down their plates and walked over to see what was wrong.  As the three of them walked back they could see Splendid’s face was red and she was angrily wiping away tears.

“He’s leaving.  Said he didn’t want to do this anymore,” Splendid told them.

Furiosa wasn’t surprised.  She’d sensed Xander hadn’t grown to be as enthusiastic about being a parent as Splendid had.  He’d only been with her to one doctor’s appointment and getting him to help with anything from picking out clothes to names had been like pulling teeth according to Splendid.  So no, Furiosa wasn’t surprised, but that didn’t stop her from having to swallow the sudden urge to murder the punk.

“Useless coward,” Toast growled, wearing a similarly murderous look.

Splendid accepted a plate of food from Nux with a weak but grateful smile.  She didn’t eat it though, instead poking at the food angrily.

“How could he just . . . leave like that?” She snapped, fuming.  No one answered the question, letting her vent.  Splendid closed her eyes, lips forming a hard line and nostrils flaring, as she took a deep breath, then released it in a sigh.  She could be angry later.  Right now, she needed to start figuring out how to do this without Xander.  Alone.  Fear almost instantly replaced her anger until she looked up and realized she wasn’t alone at all.  Furiosa, Capable, Toast, Cheedo, Dag, and even Max and Nux were right there, offering her their support.  She wasn’t alone.  Not even close.

“What do you need?”  Furiosa asked.

“Free baby sitters?” Splendid joked with a teary smile, easing the tension as everyone laughed.  “I mean, we-I already got a lot of clothes but you know how babies grow.”

“Not really,” Toast remarked dryly.  Splendid raised an eyebrow at her and she smirked.

“If you guys know anyone with old baby stuff to give away, that would be helpful.  Especially a crib.  I haven’t found one I can afford yet.” ‘And that’s about to get a lot harder,’ she thought bitterly.

“I do,” Max said quietly.  “Have a friend,” he added on quickly, noticing the questioning looks they were giving him.  As the conversation resumed, only Furiosa seemed to notice the distant look on Max’s face.

“I don’t want you guys buying stuff for me, okay?  That wouldn’t be-”

“For you?  Anything we might get is for that little alien in there,” Dag interrupted, pointing at Splendid’s now visibly pregnant belly.

“I just don’t want any of you feeling obligated . . .” she replied sheepishly.

“Remember what I told you?”  Furiosa asked.  Splendid looked up at her then dropped her gaze, smiling.

“‘Whatever happens, I’m not alone.’”

“Exactly.” Furiosa smiled.

Max made a sudden choking noise, his face a grimace of pain.  His now empty paper plate fell, forgotten, from his hand as he quickly stumbled away towards the gym, continuing to gasp for breath.  Furiosa shared a confused look with the others.

“Why don’t you all clean up and I’ll go see what’s up with him?”  She didn’t wait for answers, instead walking towards Max as he reached the side of the building, his arms braced against the brick exterior.  When she caught up, she could hear his heavy breathing and placed a hand on his shoulder to see if he was okay.  If not for her reflexes she would have taken an arm to the face when Max flinched and whirled around to see who grabbed him.  Thankfully, she caught his wrist and held it tightly.  He was wild eyed, his face a mixture of panic and sorrow.  She could feel him trembling beneath her fingers but when he realized it was her, he relaxed slightly and she released him, his arm falling to his side.  His back hit the wall and he slid to the ground, the trembling of his body now visible and that awful look of sorrow was still on his face.  Furiosa stared at him, confused, until she suddenly felt the pieces fall into place in her head.

_Oh._ A painful weight settled in her stomach.  She knew what else that car accident had taken from him.

“Not . . . alone.”  He gave a choked laugh, smiling bitterly.  Furiosa said nothing for several moments, processing what she’d realized and trying to figure out what to say.

“ . . . You don’t have to be alone, Max.  Not anymore,” she said carefully.  Max jerked his head to look at her with a sharp stare.  He opened his mouth to speak but words were choked into silence by a tight throat.  Looking away, he nodded once.  After several minutes, when his breathing calmed and he remained silent, Furiosa backed off and returned to the gym, sensing his need for space.

When Max returned, he busied himself with menial tasks like washing and folding towels or cleaning the locker rooms.  Anything that didn’t involve other people.  Everyone left him alone, giving him the space he clearly needed.

As closing time arrived, when only he and Furiosa were left, he was as high strung as ever, the chores having done nothing to get him out of his own head.  He moved on to the last task of the day - cleaning the equipment.  His movements were tense and jerky but when Furiosa put her hand on his arm, he stopped.  She could almost feel the storm under his skin.

“Come on,” she said softly.  Tugging gently on his arm, she jerked her head towards the ring.  She knew what he needed.  It had been a long time since anyone had cared about that.  Even himself.

They didn’t usually wear pads for their sparring matches but both of them knew this one would be different.  Once they were in the ring, Furiosa waited until his shoulders settled, fists clenched, and eyes cleared before she attacked.  She hit him hard with a right hook that sent him stumbling back.  Max shook his head to clear it, then stared at her.  Furiosa just gestured for him to come at her and he smirked, dropped his chin, and charged.  He swung right and left trying to land hits while she blocked with her left and and struck with her right.

Several seconds passed as they exchanged hooks until Furiosa got her left arm around his neck to pull him close.  She brought her right knee into his ribs, then followed up with several hard hits with her fist until Max finally worked his way out of her grip.  He backed away, breathing deeply, and she let him go.  His eyes were locked on her and she could see it.  Behind his eyes, under his skin, the storm was still raging.

Max charged again, throwing his shoulder into her stomach and wrapping his arms around her legs.  Furiosa tried to stop him but she wasn’t fast enough and she grunted as her back hit the floor with a resounding thud.  Instead, she wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her feet.  Max growled and attempted to get out of her hold but the girls hadn’t been the only ones paying attention while he taught ground defense over the last four months.

When he realized he couldn’t get out of it, Max started dropping elbows.  Before he could get a third hit to her ribs, Furiosa got her arms underneath his shoulders and pulled him close.  Once again, Max was trapped in her hold and struggled to get out of it.  He bucked and writhed, trying to break free, but her holds didn’t fail.  Furiosa just watched him, waiting, her jaw set in determination.  He could feel her eyes on him and looked up, still struggling.  His eyes met hers and there was a sudden shift.  The storm was waning.  Max stopped moving and took a deep breath.  When she felt him relax, Furiosa let go.

He stood up, then gave her a hand up.  Their eyes met again and she could see he wasn’t finished yet.  She let him make the first move and he came at her with a right hook.  Furiosa blocked it, but Max got his arms around her shoulders and locked his hands behind her back.  Rather than fight his hold, she focused on landing hits to his ribs, forcing him to let go.  As he backed away, Furiosa landed another hard right hook to his face that sent Max reeling.  He stumbled back and turned away from her, head down, with hands braced on his knees.  It was over.

She watched him as he walked out of the ring and collapsed on a bench.  He held his head in his hands, staring blankly at the floor.  Her eyes didn’t leave him as she exited the ring and pulled off her gloves.  Spotting blood on his cheek, Furiosa went to retrieve the first aid kit, pulling pads off as she went.

Returning to Max, she stood between his knees and pulled his chin up to take a look at the cut.  He stared at her as she began to gently wipe away the blood, cleaning his face.  She could feel him shaking.  His head was finally clear but his emotions raw.  Furiosa knelt down to be eye-level with him, hand cupping his cheek.

“Max,” she said gently, quietly.   _‘Max, it’s okay.’_  At the sound of his name, his eyes squeezed shut and his lip trembled as his face dropped to her shoulder.  Furiosa held him close as his body shook, tears pricking her own eyes, his arms going around her.  She knew the losses he’d suffered.  He’d been alone for so long.  But that changed the day he walked into her gym all those months ago.  Max had become a part of the gym, a part of the girl’s lives.  A part of her life.  His gentle, quiet nature had been something she didn’t know she needed.

Max continued to hold on to her.  He didn’t know how she tempered the storm in him but she brought him a peace he hadn’t felt in years.  She was strong and patient and stable and all the things he wanted to be again.

Whatever happened, they weren’t alone anymore. **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY this took me so long! Life just kind of got in the way the last couple weeks. Didn't help that this chapter was going in a million different directions as I wrote. :/ HUGE thank you to Erin for helping my brain sort everything out and choreographing the fight scene for me. <3
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Kudos and comments, as always, are immensely appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

A sudden rattling of the front door startled Furiosa from the Black Springs tournament registration she was currently filling out.  She looked up to find Max staring at her and tapping the door with his foot, his arms full with a large box.

“Good morning,” Furiosa greeted him, after unlocking and opening the door for him.  He hummed a reply before setting the box down, and offered her one of two cups of coffee that had been sitting on top.  She smiled and took a grateful sip.  “Mmmmm, I’ve been meaning to ask where you get this stuff, it’s the best.”

“Make it,” he grunted, cheeks going pink as he rounded the front desk, looking for scissors to open the box.

“Might have to give Keep your secret.  She’d love to sell this at the restaurant.”

Max gave a noncommittal grunt.  He glanced at the computer screen, catching the tournament registration, and stopped his search to stare at Furiosa, a smug smile forming.  He’d been right about Black Springs and Galena eventually opening their tournaments to her, despite their relationship with Joe.  She snorted and rolled her eyes at him.

“Okay, you were right.  Enjoy it while you can.”

His smile became a grin and he turned away, resuming his search for scissors.

“Speaking of Keep though, think you’d be up for riding there tonight?” she asked tentatively.  After his breakdown, she’d given him a few days to decompress, but another tournament was around the corner and he still hadn’t managed a moving vehicle.  Max froze, scissors finally in hand.  His face fell and he sighed, nodding.

The door chimed and opened.

“Morning!” Capable greeted cheerfully, Splendid walking in behind her.

“It is definitely morning,” Splendid said tiredly, eyeing the cups of coffee with envy until she spotted the box on the floor.  “What’s that?”

“‘S for you,” Max replied, using the scissors to slice through the tape holding it shut before opening the box and stepping back.  The other three approached to take a look and Splendid gasped.  Baby clothes of assorted sizes, along with velvety-soft blankets and stuffed animals, plus bottles and burp rags and teething rings filled the box.

“Max . . . thank you so much, this is wonderful!”  Splendid beamed at him as she and Capable rifled through the box.  He nodded and forced a half smile, trying to avoid staring at the stuff in their hands.  “Please tell your friend thank you.  I’ll make a note to send them a thank-you card.”  Max nodded stiffly, chanced a glimpse of the box’s contents, and quickly looked away, moving to put the scissors back where he found them.

“Capable, why don’t you help Splendid take this stuff to your car?” Furiosa interjected.  Both of them nodded and Capable picked up the box and followed Splendid out the door.  Furiosa turned to Max, who was watching them as they passed by the front windows on their way to the parking lot.  “Hey,” she said gently, tapping his arm and pulling him from his thoughts.  His eyes focused on her and she smiled softly, proud but sympathetic.  He ducked his head, looking sheepish but grateful.

\--

She turned the key in the ignition and the engine rumbled to life.  It didn’t take sharp ears to catch Max’s quick intake of breath as he rummaged through the gym bag at his feet.  He pulled out a notebook and pen, both clenched tightly in his shaky hands as he sat up, eyes closed and breathing heavy.

“What is that for?”

“Distraction.”

“I can see it’s working.”

Max cracked his eyes open to glare at her and Furiosa put her fingers up in mock surrender, although her hands didn’t leave the steering wheel.

“I looked it up.  It’s supposed to help.”

“Hm.  Maybe it works better than I thought because you still haven’t noticed we’ve started moving, have you?”  When his eyes had been closed, she’d carefully shifted gears and slowly eased her foot off the brake pedal while talking.

Max jerked his head around to stare out the passenger side window and indeed, they were moving, the truck rolling slowly through the parking lot.  He turned back to a grinning Furiosa, snorted, and opened the notebook.  She had already known about using distractions to help with anxiety, a puzzle book and pencil stored in the center console, but she was pleased Max had done his own research.

As she pulled out onto the street, he gave another involuntary quick inhale but otherwise handled the slow speed limit and regular stoplights of downtown driving, eyes focused on the notebook.  When he noticed the shift to wider roads, higher speeds, and less stops his anxiety heightened – his knuckles turned white and he was sure the pen would break at any moment; shaking kept him from writing anything.  Max made the mistake of looking up.  He knew what road they were on.  He knew what intersection was coming up.

“ _Stop_.”  How he managed to keep his voice even slightly steady was a mystery as panic took hold.  He wanted out.  He _needed_ out.

Furiosa slowed to a stop on the side of the road but locked the doors and windows before Max could get his door open.  He tugged on the handle then beat his palms against the door when it didn’t open, growling in frustration.

“Max, you need to calm down!”  Her words went unheard as he continued his futile escape attempts.  When she heard the creaking of the door panel plastic as he tried to tear it off to get to the lock mechanisms, she gasped.  “Oh no you don’t!”

Unbuckling her seat belt, Furiosa climbed over the center console, wrenched his left arm from the door, and straddled him.  She grasped his face as gently as she could and forced Max to look at her.  His eyes were wild with panic, darting everywhere.  He gasped for air, chest heaving, his fingers now digging into her upper arms.

“Max.  Look at me.”  Her voice was firm, her hands holding his face steady as he tried to struggle out of her grasp.  “You’re not getting out of this truck until you calm down.”  She knew she’d never get him in a vehicle again if he got out right now.

He forced himself to make eye contact and tried to steady his breathing, focusing on Furiosa.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.

As his breathing calmed and grip loosened, her hands slid from his face and she leaned back, giving him some space.  When she was sure he was completely calm, she leaned towards the driver’s seat and tapped a button, the doors unlocked with a click.  After pulling the keys from the ignition and opening the door, she carefully climbed over him and out of the truck.  Max stepped out behind her.

He walked the short distance to the intersection; Furiosa followed.  Crossing the street, he looked around, studying the environment as if expecting to find something.  But there was nothing there.  The asphalt was new.  The pavement of the sidewalk re-poured and painted.  The steel post holding up the stoplights replaced.  Not even a memorial cross.  Max didn’t know what he expected.  It had been ten years.

“Like it didn’t even happen . . .” he said quietly.  The solid weight of grief in his chest said otherwise.  “We were supposed to stay home that night.  Order pizza.  Watch movies.” He scuffed his boot on the concrete, still searching for what wasn’t there.  “Joe called, we had a big tournament coming up so he wanted me in again . . .” He looked up at Furiosa.  “We didn’t make it.”  Max snorted angrily, scuffing his foot again, thoughts racing. _‘Now they’re dead.  And it’s my fau-’_

“Max.”  Furiosa gently grasped his hand in hers and, without thinking, he returned the gesture, holding on.  She tugged his arm, and he followed her back towards the truck, hands still clasped.  He caught the reddening handprints on her arms and sudden shame crashed over him.  She felt his other hand on the forming bruises and turned to look at him.

“’M sorry,” he said sincerely, meeting her eyes.  Furiosa nodded, accepting his apology, before opening the door to the truck.

“You can make it up to me with dinner, I’m starving.”

\--

After several minutes of waiting for Max to get back in the truck, they were finally on their way again and pulling into the parking lot of Keep’s restaurant.  Furiosa gave him a proud smile and offered him her arm after slipping on a light jacket.  Max ducked his head but she caught his own proud smile and he took her arm as they walked to the front door.

As per usual, the restaurant was packed with people, the hum of conversation washing over them as they entered.  Max liked the homely casual feel of the exposed brick, unsanded wood beams, and low lighting. Valkyrie was playing hostess, as she did most nights.  She greeted them with a raised eyebrow, staring between the two of them and they stepped apart, cheeks pink.  Furiosa shook her head at Val’s teasing laugh as they followed her to a booth next to a wall decorated with framed photographs.  Valkyrie handed them their menus before heading to the kitchen to let Keep know Furiosa was there.

The older woman turned up at their table after they placed their order.  Keep pulled Furiosa in for their customary forehead touch and did the same with Max, to his surprise.  They’d never formally met but she knew who he was, and he knew of her.

“It’s about time you two made it in here, that gym’s been keeping you too busy!” she chided before turning to Max.  “Treating my Furi to dinner, are you Max?”  Keep grinned.

“Uh mm,” he faltered, looking to Furiosa for help.

“Yeah, but not like that, Keep,” she clarified, shaking her head at him.

“Ah.” Keep nodded, understanding, an amused smile crossing her face.  “Well, I should be getting back to the kitchen.  Enjoy your food and don’t forget to say goodbye before you go.”

“We will,” Furiosa smiled and Keep kissed her forehead and waved to Max before heading back to the kitchen.

“Is that your . . .?” Max asked and Furiosa followed his stare to one of the photos on the wall.  The picture had four people – two adult women, one of them a younger-looking Keep standing next to a woman that looked like Furiosa but with long blonde hair.  Behind them and hanging out the driver’s side window of a large black semi with a skeleton arm painted on the door were two grinning young girls, one with raven black hair and a missing front tooth, the other with brown hair and a smudge of grease on her forehead.

“Yeah, that’s my mom, Mary Jo Bassa,” Furiosa said, voice going soft.  “She drove that rig. Short local runs so she could be home every night. Sometimes she’d let me come along on the longer trips in the summer.  We’d lean the seats back and open the moonroof to stargaze,” she smiled, remembering long nights staring at the stars with her mother.  Her smile fell. “That was taken a few years before she . . . .”

Max hummed his understanding, nodding towards another photo.  This one had a teenage Furiosa, bruised and bloody but grinning, in a ring standing next to a referee, her left arm held up high in victory.  “Started young.”

“After Mom died . . . I got into MMA.  I was 17 and I was angry and devastated and I just really needed . . . .”

“Quiet,” Max finished for her and the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile as she nodded.  Their food arrived and talk turned to details about the upcoming tournament.

“This is probably the last one Splendid will be coming with us for awhile.”  At six months pregnant, long car rides and the hustle and bustle of tournaments weren’t the most comfortable experience for the soon-to-be new mother.

“Mm,” Max nodded, mouth full of food.  “I have more . . . stuff for her but mm . . . it’s too big.  Need . . . to borrow your truck?”  He glanced up at her.

Furiosa raised her eyebrows at him, head cocked to the side, smile tugging at her lips.  Max gave her a deadpan stare and she laughed.

“Yes, Max, I’ll bring my truck over and we can load it up.  Just tell me when.”

\--

“Here,” Max grunted, pointing at a house on the left.  Furiosa pulled into the driveway and parked.

Stepping out of the vehicle she looked around.  Max’s house was in an older neighborhood a few blocks from the gym.  Compared to the rest of the houses, his looked in need of some work - a fresh coat of paint, clean gutters, some yard work that involved more than a mower.  Keep would’ve cried at the sight of the front garden.

Furiosa followed him to the front door as he pushed it open and walked inside.  The air had a musty smell and she could see the interior needed as much care as the exterior.  One wall looked as if several fist-sized holes had been patched up but never repainted.  Boxes filled haphazardly with photos, knick knacks, and other mementos were carelessly stacked in a corner, a sheet half covering them.  The only furniture in the room was a worn-looking couch draped with a blanket and pillow, and a television stand with a small TV on top.  Glancing towards the kitchen, she noticed it was as bereft as the living room, any personal touches erased, leaving the space cold and empty.

Max cleared his throat, shoving his hands in his pockets, looking embarrassed.  Furiosa gave him a sad smile and continued to follow him up a set of stairs.  The second floor held three rooms, two of them with the doors closed, the third a bathroom.  Max stood in front of one door, hand on the doorknob for several seconds.  She heard him take a shuddering breath and then the sound of a creaking door as it opened.

Sunlight, filtered through white sheer curtains, bathed the room in a warm glow.  Unlike the rest of the house, this room looked almost completely untouched. The walls were painted a soft green with a wallpaper border covered in cute animals lining the top.  A dresser that was also a changing table sat between two bookshelves filled with books, toys, and photos.  An old rocking chair sat in a corner.  And in the center of the room was a crib.

Furiosa breathed through her nose as her throat tightened and she ignored the heavy weight of sorrow sinking into her gut.  She knew what he’d lost, she understood.  But seeing what could have been, seeing what got left behind . . .  Tears pricking at her eyes, she looked at Max.

“I am . . . _so_ sorry,” she whispered.  His eyes squeezed shut and he shook his head, he didn’t want to hear that.  “You don’t have to do this, Max.”  Her voice was slightly stronger.  He opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile.

“It’s time.”

He’d spent ten years stuck in limbo.  Ten years drowning in happy memories cut short, even if he’d shoved them in boxes or behind closed doors.  It was time to pick up what pieces he could and let the rest drift away.

Furiosa gave him a teary half smile and nodded. **  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> War Rig cameo, haha!
> 
> Sorry for the sporadic updates, life is hectic. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


End file.
